JP2004515916A - Wafer carrier with stacking adapter plate - Google Patents

Abstract

The front open wafer container (30) has a container part (32) with a transparent shell and a door (34) for closing the open front. The container part (32) has a mechanical interface, such as a kinematic connection (56) provided at the bottom of the shell, and the shell, in particular for receiving accessories consisting of a robot lifting flange or an adapter plate (50). It has a receiving part (73) provided on the upper part. Ideally, the adapter plate (50) has a cooperating mechanical interface so that wafer carriers can be stacked. In a preferred embodiment, the receiving part (73) has a sliding support guide (72, 74), the support guide being an undercut part (50) for holding a robot lifting flange or adapter plate (50). 75). Ideally, the accessory has a detent provided on the accessory to releasably lock the accessory in place over the container portion.

Description

[0001]
This application claims priority to provisional application No. 60 / 251,025, filed December 4, 2000. Said application is incorporated herein by reference.
[0002]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a carrier for a semiconductor wafer. More particularly, the invention relates to a closable container for storing and transporting wafers.
[0003]
Sealable enclosures, commonly referred to as transport modules, have been used for many years in the semiconductor processing industry to store and transport wafers between processing steps and / or between equipment. As is well known, semiconductor wafers are easily damaged by contaminants such as particles. In clean rooms and other environments where semiconductor wafers are stored or processed into circuits, extraordinary means are used to eliminate contaminants.
[0004]
For wafers with a range of 200 mm or less, containers known as SMIF pods (standardized mechanisms interface) have been used to achieve a clean, sealed mini-environment. Examples of such pods are disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. 4,532,970 and 4,534,389. The SMIF pod generally utilizes a transparent box-shaped shell and has a lower door frame or flange forming an open bottom and a latchable door. The door frame clamps onto the processor and the door provided on the processor and the lower SMIF pod door closing the open bottom are simultaneously lowered downward from the shell to provide a seal in the processor. Into the processed environment. To access and process the wafer, a separate H-bar carrier, located on the upper inside surface of the SMIF pod and loaded with the wafer, is lowered along with the pod door. In such pods, the weight of the wafers will hang directly on the door during storage and transport.
[0005]
The semiconductor processing industry is moving toward using larger and heavier wafers, especially 300 mm wafers. The transport module for these modules utilizes a front opening to insert and remove wafers, rather than a bottom door that falls down from the module. Rather than the door supporting the load on the wafer, a container part with a transparent plastic (such as polycarbonate) shell and other members to support the wafer molded from low-particle-generating plastic (such as polyetheretherketone). And support the load of the wafer. Naturally, such a container part is formed from a number of components assembled together.
[0006]
Industry standards for such 300 mm modules require a mechanical interface, such as a mechanical connection, at the bottom of the module to reproducibly and precisely align the module with the processor. This allows the robot handling means to engage the door at the front of the module, open the door, perform the required precise gripping and retrieve a particular horizontally oriented wafer. It is very important that the wafer be positioned at a specific height and orientation relative to the machine's mechanical interface so that the wafer does not move and be damaged when robotically removing or inserting the wafer. .
[0007]
300 mm wafers are significantly larger in size and weight than 200 mm modules. Accordingly, structurally stronger modules are needed to transport batches of wafers. In general, in a 200 mm SMIF pod, the module is transported simply by grabbing the lower end at the door flange to door connection of the shell. For bottom-open pods, a handle was provided above the shell. To handle larger, heavier, bulkier modules for 300 mm wafers, side handles are suitable. For some applications, movement of the 300 mm module is solely by robotic means. Such robotic means is provided by a lifting flange provided on the upper upper surface of the carrier.
[0008]
When processing, storing and shipping, it is advantageous to assemble as many wafer containers as possible in a given area. Especially in factories where space is at a premium, stacking wafer containers, whether installed or not, can save space and provide instant access to multiple wafer containers. In general, the more wafer containers that can be stored in a given area, the better.
[0009]
The mechanical interface provided at the bottom of the 300 mm wafer container provides a very stable positioning mechanism when the container interfaces with a processing device with a mechanical connection. However, heretofore, stacking such wafer containers on top of each other is risky and generally does not simply stack such wafer carriers. There is a need for a means for easily and stably stacking wafer carriers with minimal space.
[0010]
Further, it is highly undesirable to use metal fasteners or other metal components anywhere on the pod in a semiconductor wafer carrier or container. If the metal member is rubbed or scratched, it will produce very damaging particles. Assembling fasteners into a module can result in rubbing and scratching. Therefore, the use of transport modules that require metal fasteners and other metal components must be avoided. Therefore, means using metal fasteners must be avoided.
[0011]
[Patent Document 1]
United States Patent No. 4,532,970 [Patent Document 2]
United States Patent No. 4,532,970 [Patent Document 3]
United States Patent No. 5,755,332 [Patent Document 4]
United States Patent No. 5,944,194 [Patent Document 5]
United States Patent No. 6,010,008 [Patent Document 6]
United States Patent No. 6,010,009 [Patent Document 7]
United States Patent No. 6,216,874
Summary of the Invention
The front opening wafer container has a container portion with a transparent shell and a door for closing the open front. The container portion has a mechanical interface, such as a kinematic coupling provided at the bottom of the shell, and generally has a receptacle at the top of the shell for receiving accessories, such as a robot lifting flange. Have. Ideally, the adapter plate has a cooperating mechanical interface so that the wafer carriers can be stacked. In a preferred embodiment, the receiving part has a sliding support guide. The support guide has an undercut for holding the robot lifting flange or adapter plate. Ideally, the accessory has a detent provided on the accessory to releasably lock the accessory to the container portion.
[0013]
A feature and advantage of the present invention is that the wafer container has the usual robotic handling capabilities and is securely stacked. The stacking adapter plate is removably mounted or secured to the container portion to provide a secure seat for the mechanical interface of the wafer containers stacked thereon. Several wafer containers can be stacked together to save factory space.
[0014]
Another feature and advantage of certain embodiments according to the present invention is that three contact points with the upper wafer container supported by the stacking adapter plate and three contact points with the lower wafer container supporting the adapter plate. This is what the adapter plate provides.
[0015]
[Detailed description of preferred embodiments]
FIG. 1 of such a mechanical interface shows a conventional wafer container 30. Such a carrier has a container part 32, a door 34, a robot flange 36 and a manual handle 44. The wafer carrier has a plurality of horizontal wafer slots formed from a plurality of pairs of wafer shelves arranged in a container portion. FIG. 2 similarly shows another type of wafer container having a container portion 32 and a handle 44, showing a mechanical interface 48 formed in a first structure as a kinematic coupling. ing. This kinematic connection is made up of three such as disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. 5,755,332, 5,944,194, 6,010,008, and 6,010,009. It has a groove 49. All of these patents are hereby incorporated by reference. This kinematic connection has proven to be an effective mechanical interface and has become the industry standard for 300 mm wafer carriers. The machine interface of this kinematic connection has parts that cooperate with each other. One part has three projections such as partial spheres arranged at three vertices of an equilateral triangle. The other part has three grooves for receiving the part sphere and repeating the two parts and seating them together exactly. Such kinematic connections may be separately formed, such as by injection molding, and suitably attached to the bottom of the container portion. Such a component is shown in U.S. Patent No. 6,216,874, also owned by the present applicant. This patent is also incorporated herein by reference. In other cases, the machine interface may be an integral part of the container part or may be part of the structural framework disclosed in US Pat. No. 6,010,008. The stacking adapter 50 is shown in FIG. 2 in a position engaging the kinematic connection.
[0016]
3, 4 and 5 show a preferred embodiment of the stacking adapter. This plate has a main body 54. The body 54 has an upper side 55 having a kinematic connection 56 and a lower side 58 having a mounting portion 59. The kinematic connection has at least three round projections 60 and another set of three auxiliary projections 62 as shown. Three legs 63 extend horizontally, each leg having at least one of the at least three protrusions. These protrusions may be separately formed and attached with suitable fasteners 68 or molded integrally with the body. The lower side 58 has three wafer carrier contacts 66. These contacts are located close to the kinematic connection provided on the upper side. Further, the contact portion 70 is formed corresponding to the base of the robot flange, and cooperatively engages with the upper side of the wafer carrier when the robot flange is installed. The adapter also has a hook-shaped member 71 that functions as a detent.
[0017]
FIG. 6 shows the receiving part 73 of the container part 32. The receiving portion receives accessories such as a robot lifting flange and a stacking adapter plate. The receiving portion has a pair of sliding guide members 72 and 74. These guide members have undercut portions 75,76 forming slots 78,79. The undercut is oblique with respect to the horizontal, so that the accessory is wedged and the accessory is more securely fixed on the container part. Also, the latch portion 80 receives the detent of the accessory and releasably fixes the accessory to the receiving portion. FIG. 6 also shows a pair of wafer carriers that are about to be stacked together using a stacking adapter according to the present invention.
[0018]
As can be seen with reference to FIG. 4, two wedge members 88, 90 cooperate with receiving slots 78, 79. The mounting portion for the kinematic coupling adapter plate may be provided with a mounting portion formed in the same manner as the mounting portion of the robot flange as shown in the figure. The robot flange and the stacking adapter plate can be formed by injection molding a thermoplastic such as carbon fiber or carbon filled polycarbonate. Other plastics may be used, and other materials such as metals are suitable. For carbon-filled plastics, carbon provides the desired static dissipative properties. The stacking adapter plate may be conductively connected to the mechanical connection of the container part. The conductive path is then formed by mounting the adapter plate thereon and stacking the wafer carriers.
[0019]
In another embodiment, the robot flange is in place and the stacking adapter plate cooperates with said robot flange, preferably being directly attached thereto. In another embodiment, the stacking adapter is attached to the top of the container portion around or over the robot flange. In wafer carriers without receptacles or robot flanges, certain embodiments of the stacking adapter are engaged with other available superstructures on the wafer carrier. In certain embodiments, the stacking adapter is permanently attached to or integral with the top of the wafer carrier. In one embodiment, the stacking adapter plate is mounted on an open wafer carrier such as disclosed in US Pat. No. 6,010,009.
[0020]
The present invention can be implemented in other forms without departing from the spirit or essence thereof. Therefore, the above-described embodiment is merely an example and does not limit the invention. For the scope of the invention, reference should be made to the appended claims, rather than the above description.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a conventional wafer carrier having a robot flange mounted on top of a container portion.
FIG. 2
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a wafer carrier having a kinematic coupling mechanical interface with a cooperating stacking adapter displaced.
FIG. 3
It is a front view of a stacking adapter.
FIG. 4
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the stacking adapter of FIG. 3.
FIG. 5
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the stacking adapter of FIGS. 3 and 4.
FIG. 6
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a pair of wafer carriers that are about to be stacked according to the present invention.

Claims (10)

a) a container part having an open front, a top and a bottom;
b) a door for closing the open front part;
c) a machine interface having a first structure at the bottom of the container part;
d) a receiving part provided at the upper part of the container part
e) a wafer container system having a stacking adapter plate engaging the container portion at the receiving portion, wherein the stacking adapter is configured to cooperate with a mechanical interface having the first configuration. 2. The wafer container system according to claim 1, wherein said stacking adapter plate has at least three rounded protrusions and a detent for latching to a container portion at a receiving portion. 2. The wafer container system according to claim 1, wherein said stacking adapter plate has three container part contacts extending downward and located adjacent to said at least three round projections. A stacking adapter plate for stacking a plurality of wafer containers each having a top and a bottom with a kinematic connection, wherein the stacking adapter plate includes a wafer for facilitating stacking of the plurality of wafer containers. A stacking adapter plate mounted on top of a container and having an upwardly facing kinematic connection. 5. The stacking adapter plate of claim 4, wherein said adapter plate has a detent for removably attaching the plate to a wafer container. A container portion having a plurality of slots therein for holding a plurality of wafers, the container portion having a top, a bottom, and a mechanical interface disposed at the bottom; A wafer container system having an adapter plate configured to engage with the at least three ridges, the adapter plate having at least three round projections, wherein the projections have one portion of a kinematic connection. 5. The stacking adapter plate of claim 4, wherein said adapter plate has a detent for removably attaching the plate to a wafer container. 7. The stacking adapter plate according to claim 6, wherein the plate has three horizontally extending legs, the legs being equally spaced from one another. 7. The stacking adapter plate of claim 6, wherein the plate has three horizontally extending legs, each leg having one of the at least three rounded protrusions. A container portion having a plurality of slots therein for holding a plurality of wafers, the container portion having a top, a bottom, and a machine interface disposed at the bottom, the machine interface comprising: It has three grooves as part of the kinematic connection and has a stacking adapter provided on the top of the wafer container, the adapter plate having at least three round projections, which are adapted to move. A wafer container system having a cooperating portion of a kinematic connection, wherein the plurality of wafer containers are stacked together with two portions of the kinematic connection between each adjacent pair.